Patterned alignment

Gupta, V.K. Abbott, N.L. Design of surfaces for patterned alignment of liquid crystals on planar and curved substrates. Science 1997,276, 1533-1536. 

On the other hand, the high temperature and pressure required for the nanoimprinting of thermal plastic materials limit the throughput and the application scope of the NIL technique. In addition, the thermal expansion mismatch between the mold and the substrate frequently incurred often presents an obstacle for pattern alignment over large substrates. Although various means have been attempted to make the thermoplastics imprintable at a temperature close to room... 

Condition of machine, evenness of seal pattern, alignment of jaws. 

In the previous sections we have discussed the use of the photoalignment techniques, in order to improve specific optically active parts of LCDs. We have shown that for the LC layer that forms the optical valve both in-plane and out-of-plane orientation is important to attain the correct switching behaviour. This is, however, not sufficient with respect to the front-of-screen performance, like contrast, brightness and viewing angle. In order to improve these properties of LCDs, patterned alignment for use in multidomain LCDs and retardation layers was discussed for respectively large and small... 

The formation of transient domain patterns aligned perpendicular to the initial director during the relaxation process of the Frederiks transition has been known since the earliest observations by Carr [20] and Guyon et al. [21]. After these observations some other transient domain structures were found in thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal with perpendicular [22], parallel [23], oblique [24], and two-dimensional [25] striped patterns relative to the initial orientation of the director in both the electric and magnetic fields. 

The formation of transient domain patterns aligned perpendicular to the initial director during the relaxation process of the magnetically driven Frederiks transition has been known since the earliest observations [85, 86]. The parallel stripes observed are, in... 

In addition, if it is possible to have patterned alignment layers, different LC modes for the subpixels can be made and optimal performance transflective displays can then be achieved. These novel designs all require patterning of either the polarizer or the retardation film, or the alignment layers. They can all be accomplished with photoalignment [34]. One such novel design that maintains a uniform cell gap is shown in Figure 5.24. 

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